Alabama Senate debates needle exchange programs

A recently released report by the federal government found that needle exchange programs increased significantly over the last decade.
Wochit

At the very least, there was a debate.

Signs show the entrance to the needle exchange program at the Austin Community Outreach in Austin, Ind. Indiana health officials trying to contain an HIV outbreak tied to needle-sharing among drug users are getting helping from specialists from other states in tracking down about 130 additional people who also may be infected.(Photo: AP)

The Alabama Senate on Tuesday discussed but did not vote on legislation that would allow the creation of pilot programs for needle exchange. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, would allow the Alabama Department of Public Health to work with local counties to put in programs lasting no more than three years to test the efficacy of the exchanges.

Singleton argued the programs might allow the state to get disease outbreaks associated with drug use under control, and possibly allow them to get treatment.

“There’s a big outbreak of hepatitis C and HIV in some of our counties in the state of Alabama,” Singleton said Tuesday evening. “In order to curtail that, we at least need to provide some needle exchange to help. It’s not the cure-all, but along with this will be counseling.”

The bill passed a procedural motion 20 to 4 but got carried over after a debate between Singleton and Sen. Larry Stutts, R-Sheffield. Singleton said he hoped to bring the bill back soon.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a review of existing needle exchange programs saw significant reductions in HIV and saved anywhere from $1,300 to $3,000 per client. New diagnoses of HIV in Alabama have declined in recent years, according to ADPH. But the number of hepatitis C cases increased significantly, growing 180 percent between 2011 and 2015, according to the CDC.

Under Singleton’s legislation, a pilot program would provide participants syringes, needles, and injection supplies as well as drugs to treat overdoses. Participants would receive a card to provide limited immunity from prosecution for possession of drug paraphernalia. The programs would not be able to use state money to get clean needles.

Those in the program would also receive information on treatment for mental illness and substance abuse. The programs would provide yearly updates on the level of participation and references to treatment.

The bill is based on a needle exchange program created in Scott County, Indiana, following an outbreak of HIV in southern Indiana. The program had the support of then-Gov. Mike Pence, and has shown significant reductions in hepatitis C outbreaks, though some officials in the state have dropped their programs due to moral objections.

Those objections were present on the Senate floor Tuesday. Stutts said he had a fundamental disagreement with the concept.

“I think there are some things you cannot make safe, and IV drug use is on that list,” Stutts said. “I’m not sure we are going to make it safer by providing the syringes and needles.”

Singleton said officials should be open to the proposal.

“If we can save one life, one life ... we have done a great job,” he said.

Singleton said after the vote that he was optimistic about the legislation, citing the 20 votes it got on the procedural motion and said he wasn’t worried about the bill's delay.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “I expected to get to that point.”

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